Series lamp-receptacle.



0. D. GERVIN. V LSERIES LAMP REGEPTAGLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20,1909.

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CHARLES D. GERVIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN H. DALE, 0F

NEW YORK, N. Y.

SERIES LAMP-RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 20,1909.

Patented fin 579, Serial No. 479,209.

T 0 all whom it may concern 5e it known that 1, CHARLES D. Gnnvrn, a citizen or the United States,'residing at the ity of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Series Lamp-Receptacles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to series lamp receptacles. I r

The main object is to provide a conven ient and elticient cluster for incandescent lamps connected in a single series circuit.

Further object of the invention is to provide 1 series cluster (in lamp receptacle which is removable and interchangeable with others in its attachment upon a fixed support. Reference is made to my co-pei'ub ing application No. 451,562, in which a multiple cluster for this same object is set forth.

The circuit wires of a building are necessarily more or less permanent fixtures, and in the ordinary practice of inclosing the circuit wires in conduit pipes, it is evident that the n'otruding pipe or conduit at the location of the various lights, etc, is also a. permanent fixture. The. general practice has been to connect lhe. desired cluster or lamp receptacle to such conduit: pipe and then make the electrical connections from the circuit wires separately. This is obviously troublesome and damages the circuit. wires. lllumexcr a new lamp shade is required, all these connections have to be broken in order to permit the lamp shade to be placed over the receptacle and around the conduit pipe. The connections also have to be entirely broken or remade when a new receptacle is to be substituted torthe one in use. By my invention all these dilliculties are overcome. I provide the conduit pipe with a permanent receptacle support. This supportis small enoughto permit an ordinary shade to he slipped over it and is i1itta-ehangeably adapted to series or multiple, or other receptacles for any desired number of lamps. The me chanical attachment and the electrical connections are all attained by the simple act of pressing the receptacle onto said support.

\Vilh the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in the features of construction and combination 'hcre matter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure. l is a plan view of a receptacle embodying the principles oi my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical s View of the same attached upon its conduit support; Fig. 3 is a detail partly sectional View showing the method of connecting the ditl'erent lamps in series, and Fig. st. is a bottom plan view of the fixed support.

1 denotes an insulating base in the form of a truncated conical ring of porcelain or insulating material.

2 designates threaded shells having lips or flanges it at their rear ends which abut against the outside conical face of the base 1. Each threaded shell is secured in this relation by an intcriorly insulated disk 1- and a bolt 5 which passes through the base, 1, causing the lips or flanges 3 to be tightly embraced between thedisk 4t and base 1. Each threaded shell has a tongue 6 projecting laterally therefrom. These tongues are most conveniently formed by stamping a strip out of the bottom of a threaded shell having an entirely closed bottom wall, thus leaving on each side a pair of segmental portions of said bottom Wall to constitute the lips .3. At the opposite side from the tongue l each threaded shell is cut away at 7, and into the recesses thus formed there projects the tongue ot' the next adjacent shell. (See, Fig. 3). The position of the recess 7 is such that the material taken therefrom may be made to constitute an extension of the tongue 6, on the opposite side of the shell, making the length of the tongue somewhat greater than would otherwise be the case. "By this means each tongue projects far enough into the next threaded shell to receive the bolt 5 through an opening in its extremity.

8 denotes a Washer interposed between the head of'the bolt 5 and the tongue 6 to make a neuter and better connection.

By the foregoing means each threaded shell is provided with a center contact and the different shells and contacts are connected in a single series circuit. While I consider this particular means as the most.

desirable manner of accomplishing the functions stated, I do not, of course, desire to be limited or restricted thereto. One of the threaded shells 2, is unprovided with a.

laterally extending tongue 6, but has a radially extending tongue 6, which is o1ned to a metallic ring 10, by a soldered or other joint at 11. The ring 10 is most conveniently formed of sheet metal stamped into an annular form of U-shaped transverse section. .On its lower side the ring-has a plurality of extensions or lugs 10" which are fastened to the base 1 by the screws 12.

The screws 12 are located at points intermediate .the shells 2, so as to avoid. any possibility of a short-circuit between the parts of different potential.

14 denotes a plate fixed beneath the center of the .ring 10 in any suitable manner, as for example, by an extending side. 14 screwed to the inner face of the basefl by a screw 5 which is employed as a center contact for the threaded shell adjacent to the shell 2, in place of the bolt regularly employed.

l6 denotes a casing of the usual hemispherical or other sort, having holes 16 through which the threaded shells project and in which they are secured by the bushings 17 Any suitable inclosure may be provided to cover the open upper side of the casing 16.

The fixed support with which the foregoing receptacle cooperates has been fully shown and described in my companion application above referred to, beingdesigned to operate equally well with a series, or multiple receptacle, or any other kind. It comprises essentially an insulating body 20 with a plurality of depending spring prongs or tongues 21 each having a shoulder 22 to engage them within and beneath the ring 10 of the receptacle.

23 is a longer centrally depending spring prong which extends into contact with the plate 14 when the receptacle is assembled on the prongs 21, as just described. The prong 23 constitutes one terminal of the line circuit and any one or more of the supporting prongs 2l may be made the other terminal. r

It .is evident that the receptacle is mechanically atfixed to its support by merely pressing it over the prongs 21 and all the electrical connections are established by the same act.

The'outside diameter of the support 20 is so small. that any ordinary lamp shade I passes readily over it, so that the latter may be supplied, or renewed, or removed, whenever desired Without any more t'listurbance than pulling oil" the receptacle and pushing it back in place again. Also the receptacles themselves are interchangeable by the same simple manipulation, the series receptacle of the present case being replaceable by the multiple receptacle of my prior case, and vice versa, or any other change cll'ectcd, as desired. The building is conveniently completed with only the conduit or fixture supports in place, and the tenant can thereafter apply and change around the receptacles to suit his purposes and conveniences.

that I claim is 1. A'cluster receptacle comprising an insulated base, a plurality of threaded shells secured around the periphery thereof, center contacts, means for connecting said shells and center contacts in a series circuit, a ring and a concentric plate forminglhe terminals of said circuit, and means adapted to be simply pushed into engagement with said ring and plate for supporting therecept'acle and establishing the electrical connections.

2. A cluster receptacle comprising a base, a plurality of threaded shells thereon each having a laterally deflected tongue on one side and a recess on its opposite side, and means for retaining saidshells in positionupon said base,'said means comprising center contacts into engagement, with which said tongues extend through said recesses 3. A cluster receptacle comprising a base, a plurality of threaded shells thereon}. each of' said threaded shells. having a tdngue stamped integrally therefrom and projecting laterally to one side and having a recess on its opposite side, and means for retaining said shells in position upon said base, said means comprising center contacts into engagement with which saidtongues extend through said recesses.

4. A cluster receptacle comprising a base, a plurality of threaded shells thereon, each of said threaded shells having a tongue stamped integrally therefrom and projecting laterally to one side and having a recess on its opposite side, and shell retaining bolts secured to said and constituting center contacts, said tongues engaging said bolts through said recesses.

5. A cluster receptacle comprising a flat, annular base, a plurality of threaded shells secured around the periphery thereof, said shells having bottoms with a portion stamped outward therefrom to constitute a tongue, said shells having a recess on the opposite side, and centeihcontacts into engagement with which said tongues extend through said recesses.

6. A cluster receptacle con'iprising an insulating ring, a plurality of threaded shells having lips resting on the outside of said ring, bolts constituting center contacts and clamping sa'id lips to said ring, and a tongue on each threaded shell extending into en-. gagenicnt with the bolt of an adjacent shell.

7. A cluster receptacle comprising an .insulating base, a plurality of threaded shells having lips resting directly on the out ide oi said base, center contacts, tongues extruding laterally from all but one ol said shells and making connection with the center contact of an ad acent shell, and electrical 001N101- tions from the extreme center contact and threaded shell, respectively, of the series thus established.

8. A cluster receptacle comprising a base, a plurality of threaded shells thereon, tongues extending laterally from said threaded shells, center contacts each engaged by the tongue of an adjacent shell, a metallic ring constituting a terminal, a metallic plate also constituting a terminal, and means for electrically connecting said ring and plate as terminals of the series lamp circuit established as set forth by said tongues.

9. A cluster receptacle comprising a truncated conical insulating ring, a plurality of threaded shells secured on the outside of said ring, each of said shells having a laterally extending torigue, center contacts engaged by the tongue of an adjacent shell, and connecting means, having upwardly disposed ortions, secured to said rings for establishmg terminal connections for the series circuit thus produced.

10. A cluster receptacle comprising a trun- I cated conical insulating ring, a plurality of threaded shells secured on the outside of.

said ring, each of said shells having a laterally extending tongue, center contacts each engaged by the tongue of an adjacent shell, and a plate and a metallic ring secured to said insulating ring, constituting terminals for the series circuit thus produced.

11. A cluster receptacle comprisinga truncated' conical insulating ring, a plurality of threaded shells securedon the outside of said ring, each of said shells having a laterally extending tongue, center contacts each engaged by the tongue of'an adjacent shell, a

plate and a metallic ring secured to said insulating ring, constitutin terminals for the series circuit thus produced, and means adapted to be simply pushed into enga ement with said metallic ring and plate or supporting the receptacle and establishing the electrical connections.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, n the presence of two Witnesses.

Euw. LAWTON, I

EDWIN E. BUYNON. 

